Canaletto Tower, 257 City Road

Orion Capital Managers, backer of Canaletto, has “come up with an enclosed world, where several aspects of human existence are served”, reports Rowan Moore in The Guardian today.

“It all takes place within a singular building, triangular in plan and dominated by curving frames, each containing a portion of three or two storeys. It is an efflorescence of the globalised residential property market, its signature stylings looking more like similar blocks in Singapore or Abu Dhabi than the surrounding brick terraces and warehouses.”

photo by SE9, on Flickr

Apparently the building name came from a company called Socrates Communications – generated from the fact it is on water, and “when Canaletto was painting it was a time of a lot of change and modernization”. Fascinating!

According to the developers, Canaletto is a beautifully crafted residential tower of style and quality, designed by Dutch master Ben van Berkel of UNStudio. Situated by the water, Canaletto offers a collection of sumptuous apartments in the swiftly growing area on London’s City Road around Tech City, providing residents with truly exceptional and rare levels of service and amenities.

The 31-storey Canaletto building sits at the crossroads of the capital’s most exciting and diverse districts such as Islington, City, Shoreditch and Clerkenwell. Residents will have a committed and efficient concierge team as well as superior level of facilities including stylish restaurant, private screening room, fabulous swimming pool and gymnasium and stunning 24th floor private Club Canaletto with sky terrace.

12 Mar 2012

257 City Road

Orion City Road Trustee Ltd secures Resolution to Grant Planning for 257 City Road site

Design: UNStudio, architects

2011-15

Canaletto Tower, 257 City Road

Orion City Road Trustee Ltd, the vehicle set up by Orion Capital Managers for the redevelopment of 257 City Road, has secured a Resolution to Grant Planning Permission from Islington Council for a 30-storey residential tower designed by international architecture practice UNStudio. The decision, announced last Wednesday night, ensures redevelopment of this significant City Road Basin site will begin this year.

Initial consent for a tower on the site was achieved by Groveworld, a member of the previous owner group, 259 City Road Basin Ltd, in December 2006. The design has since been revised and submitted for the current consent. Groveworld is now working with Orion as development manager on the project.

The project will become a new landmark development comprising a 30-story tower with one and two-bedroom apartments and a selection of luxurious penthouses. Offering relaxed waterside living, the tower will also include a restaurant, swimming pool, health club, media room and 78 parking spaces.

“The detailing and contrasting materials on the façade and the balconies of the City Road Tower play a key role in the identity of the building and are, in fact, borrowed from furniture design. This is an approach which we more typically apply to designs for smaller private houses. However, following extensive research into the potential for extending durability and maintenance we were able to create unexpected material variations on a larger scale.”

The project lies halfway between the City of London and Angel, Islington and is close to the restaurants, cinemas and retail attractions of Islington while also being in walking distance of Bank.

Aref Lahham of Orion Capital Managers says: “We are pleased with the progress being made to redevelop the site, which is surrounded by popular cosmopolitan communities. The Canal Basin is being transformed into one of London’s most stylish waterside residential quarters with galleries, restaurants and what will be a superb retail environment. With such an exciting design, 257 City Road will be a highlight of this regeneration effort and a landmark for the area.

“Groveworld, a very experienced developer in this part of London, is the perfect partner to ensure this innovative and challenging development will breathe new life into the City Road Basin area.”

257 City Road – Further Information

About Orion Capital Managers (UK) Ltd

Orion Capital Managers, L.P. (“Orion”) is a European real estate investment firm. Orion’s business is commercial real estate investment management on behalf of major investors from around the world. The firm is dedicated to consistently deliver performance to its investor partners.

Orion is wholly owned by its Founding Partners and has offices in London, Madrid, Milan and Paris. Orion Capital Managers’ local presence and experience in European markets creates a platform which responds rapidly to a broad range of transactions.

About Groveworld

Groveworld are a privately owned mixed-use / residential led development company, established in 1990. The company develops primarily in the London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney and Camden; within the last few years they have successfully completed over 530 new homes, in addition to a new primary school, commercial space (B1 and D1) leisure facilities and public amenity space.

With over 800 private and 350 affordable units in the pipeline over the next few years Groveworld has established themselves as a key developer in this part of Central London.

About UNStudio

UNStudio, founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, is a Dutch architectural design studio specializing in architecture, urban development and infrastructural projects. The name UNStudio stands for United Network Studio, referring to the collaborative nature of the practice.

Pivotal UNStudio projects include the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam (NL 1990-1996) and the New Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart (DE 2006).

Current projects include The Scotts Tower in Singapore (SG 2010-2016) and the large scale mixed-use project Raffles City in Hangzhou (CN 2008-2014).